Robert Downey Jr. signs up for HTC

Chaplin, US Marshals, Iron Man and now… HTC adverts. Robert Downey Jr had just signed a two year agreement with the company and there’s a 15 second preview of what you’ll soon be seeing below.

http://youtu.be/UpGUV6ZrYFw

He’ll be helping to promote and celebrate the impact that HTC have had on the mobile landscape over the last 17 years. Under the “Change” brand Robert, like Kevin Bacon and EE, wiill help to show just how much fun a mobile phone can be. He has worked closely with HTC on the adverts too, helping with creative direction whilst also starring.

There’s three phases to the campaign, and you’ll beging seeing the first fun ads showing what HTC means to people. This will be followed by ads showing the BlinkFeed and BoomSound system, plus a third phase showing how HTC has changed peoples’ lives.

With a large cull of managers recently and a dive in profits, there’s no denying that HTC have changed, so let’s hope these new “Here’s To Change” and “HTChange” ads start to turn fortunes around.

Taipei, Taiwan – August 12, 2013 – HTC, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today unveiled its most powerful marketing campaign to date. The Change brand platform is a long-term strategy that celebrates HTC’s disruptive impact on the mobile industry over its 17-year history. Ushering in an innovative new approach that will transform the industry, the campaign will reach consumers through a broad spectrum of traditional and digital media outlets.

To mark the launch of the global platform, a new above-the-line campaign will be rolled out from August 2013. Featuring acclaimed actor and director, Robert Downey Jr., the first ad creative will screen on YouTube on 15th August, to be immediately followed by a series of cinema and TV executions.

Ben Ho, CMO of HTC comments, “HTC’s innovation, authenticity and boldness have made us the change-makers in the mobile industry and led us to launch what influencers regard as the best phone in the world, the HTC One. Our original and playful Change platform is different to anything else out there and aligns our brand with the same qualities our phones are already known for. With this campaign, we are affirming what HTC’s role is in the mobile market which is to define change and to lead the industry in developing the newest and most innovative technologies.”

The face behind the Change

Recognized as one of the most popular faces on the big screen, Robert Downey Jr. has signed a two-year deal with HTC. In addition to starring in the ad, he has injected his own style, working closely with HTC’s global agency 171 Worldwide (WWP Group) to shape its creative direction, putting change at the core of HTC’s brand by offering a variety of unique interpretations of the HTC acronym.

Celebrating the change-makers

The brand platform will roll out in three phases with the initial advertising campaign highlighting HTC’s brand with a playful take on what it means to different people. The second phase will feature executions which highlight how HTC innovations—like BlinkFeed, Video Highlights and BoomSound—have changed the face of the mobile industry. The following ad spots will then focus on how HTC products empower individuals to drive change in their own lives.

Changing the media mix

Aligning with the preferences of HTC’s target audience, the ATL campaign will be heavily weighted to cinema, online and digital media. Experiential events in key markets, like the UK, US and Taiwan, will also bring the brand message to life for consumers, who will be able to experience the various creative interpretations of HTC for themselves. Extending the interpretation to consumers, a word randomizer app hosted on HTC.com and promoted via a range of social channels including Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, has also been developed to allow people to identify the most outlandish possible interpretations of HTC, building on the variety of permutations first introduced in the ATL campaign.